Electrical appliance



Dec. 13, 1927., 1,652,191

F. P WITHERS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 26., 1925 Patented Dec.13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PA'TENT- OFFICE.

. MK WITHERS, 01' SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T LINE MATE-BIALJ GOMPANY, OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS-nnncrnrcar. arrnancn.

Application filed September 26, 1925. Serial No. 58,895.

.copper conductor Wire around the ground rod and then soldering thevsamein place;

Ordinarily to produce a satisfactory job, the soldering operation has tobe done before the ground rod is driven and the result is that the rodbecomes annealed and hence ,looses its rigidity for driving.

, Having the above objection to the use of copper clad ground rods inmind, it is an object of this invention to provide improved andeflicient means for electrically connecting a conductor with a ound rodof the copper clad type in whic the rod may be driven into the groundand then the connec-" tion made in a'very eflicient and satisfactorymanner.

Another obj ect'of this invention resides in the provision of animproved device of the character described in which the copper on theupper end of the rod is swedged inward- 1 to bare the outer end of thesteel core and firm an abrupt copper shoulder, the exposed end of thecore being threaded to receive a cap for securing the end of a copperwire conductor in good electrical engagement with the oundTodrl With t eabove and other objects view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and moreparticularly defined b the appended claims, it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed inventionmay be made as comewithin the scope of the claims.

In the accompan 'ng drawing, I have illustrated one comp ete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to thebest mode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the up per end of a ground rodembodying my invention. v

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly in section and-partly inelevation,'of the upper end of the ground wire illustrating the capmember as disengaged from the end of the rod; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modifiedconstruction of my in vention.

Referrin now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in whichlike numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 5 deslgnates a ground rod of that type consistin of a steel core6, surrounded by a layer 0 copper 7. The rod is adapted to be driveninto the ground sufliciently deep to reach permanenty moist soil so thatthe circuit in which a conductor 8 is incorporated may be connected witha satisfactory ground when the conductor 8 is in proper electricalconnection with the ound rod.

Hereto ore, the conductor 8, which is preferably a copper wire, has beenelectrically connected with the rod by being wrapped therearound andthen soldered in position. This manner of connecting the conductor withthe rod has been unsatisfactory in that the soldering action must bedone before the driving of the rod to obtain a good job and consequentlythe heat has annealed the steel. core 6 and lowered its rigidity fordriving. In that form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,the copper cladding on the upper end of the rod is swedged inwardly, asat 9, to bare the extreme up or end 10 of the steel core which is threaed,

as at 11, to receive a cap member 12. The swedged co per 9 forms ashoulder 13 against whic the bottom of the cap 12 engages when securedthereto for driving and the internally threaded bore 14 of the cap ispreferably counter-bored, as at 15, to insure a large area of engagementbetween the bottom of the cap and the shoulder for purposes of driving.

The steel core 6 at a point adjacent the shoulder 13 is provided with atransverse bore 16 which registers with slots or grooves 17 in theshoulder so that the end 18 of the conductor 8 may be inserted thereinand firmly clamped in the groove 17 when the cap 12 is tightened overthe threaded end of the steel rod to insure a good electrical connectionbetween the conductor and the ground rod.

In operation, the cap 12 is threaded on the bared end of the rod 6 andthe rod driven into the ground. The cap 12 is then turned back to freethe opening 16 and the end 18 of the conductor inserted therein and thecap tightened thus producing a good electrical connection between theconductor and rod.

In that form of my invention illustrated in Figure 3 a slightly modifiedconstruction is illustrated in which the upper end of the rod isthreaded, asat 19, to receive a collar or top member 20 which ispreferably of copper to form a good electrical connection with thecladding 7. A stud 10 extends upwardly from the member 20 and isthreaded as at 11' to receive a cap 23 of a construction similar tothecap 12. The top face of the member 20 is slotted, as at 21, in line witha transverse opening 22 on the top face of the top 20 to receive the end18 oi. the conductor and the cap 23 clamps the conductor into electricalengagement with the member 20, and consequently the rod From theforegoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingit will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which aninvention of this character appertains that I provide a novel andimproved means for providing an electrical connection between theconductor and a copper clad steel ground rod and at the same time meansare provided for driving the rod into the ground.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a cop er clad steelground rod, a shoulder formed on the upper end of the rod, a threadedstud projecting above the shoulder, there being an aperture in the studin approximate alignment with the shoulder to receive a conductor, and acap ada ted to be threaded over the threaded stu to bind the conductoragainst said shoulder and form an electrical connection between theconductor and rod.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a copper clad steelrod, an enlargement of copper formed on the upper end of the rod toprovide a shoulder, the

.steel core of the rod projecting beyond said shoulder and beingthreaded, and a ca adapted to be threaded on said extended en of thesteel rod to provide means for clamping a conductor in electricalconnection with said shoulder.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a copper clad steelrod, an enlargement of copper formed on the upper end of the rod byswedging inwardly the copper covering to provide a shoulder, the steelcore of the rod projecting beyond said shoulder being threaded andhaving a transverse opening therein in register with grooves in theshoulder top face, and a ca adapted to be threaded on said extende endof the steel rod to clamp a conductor inserted in said opening andgrooves in electrical connection with said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK P. WITHERS.

